1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process and apparatus for continuous dyeing of elongate textile material. More particularly, the invention is directed to the production of an elongate textile material in the form of yarn, tape and the like which is finished with alternately different colors in a substantially continuous cycle of operation.
2. Prior Art
Colored fabric tapes widely used for slide fasteners are typically produced by for example weaving a monochrome warp yarn with weft yarns having different colors at predetermined intervals such as shown in FIG. 4 of the accompanying drawings, the resulting tape having a stripe pattern with alternately changed color zones.
A typical process known in the art for continuously dyeing yarns or elongate fabric tapes usually comprises a first stage of scouring, washing and drying and a second stage of dye-depositing, thermosol treating, washing, rinsing and drying. Apparatus for this process involves a dye bath equipped with a padding roll and reversibly supported so that an initial dye liquor therein is removed, followed by washing the bath and the roll for replacement with a next different dye liquor. This dye replacement further entails the necessity of washing a nip roll associated with the padding roll and other rolls guiding the material which has been dyed. In some cases, an elongate tape is spliced at predetermined intervals for dyeing with different set of colors.
The conventional dyeing process referred to above would involve certain losses of undyed yarn incurred during the course of dye replacement and roll washing, the undyed yarn portions being removed upon dye finish to permit splicing of adjacent effective portions of the yarn that has been dyed. This loss of yarn is objectionably great, and in addition there would inevitably be surface irregularities on a product fabric woven from such spliced yarns, or else spliced joints of the yarn would become dislodged.
In an attempt to eliminate the above material loss in the dyeing of tapes, it was a common practice to use splicing strips interconnecting adjacent tape portions during dyeing. This however is tedious and time-consuming for the extra work to attach and detach the splices.